1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to musical strings and the manufacturing methods therefor, and more particularly to an improved cover wire winding machine and a string that results therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention pertains to the manufacturing of musical strings such as guitar or mandolin strings and particularly to the winding process of compound strings for these instruments. These strings consist of several parts including a terminal end, a core wire and a cover wire. The core wire is secured to the terminal end by bending the end of the wire around the terminal end spool or bead and making several twist turns, thereby securing the bead to one end of the core wire. This core wire assembly is then passed to a winding machine to receive a layer of soft cover wire which is wound around the core wire assembly. A typical prior art winding machine has a motor driven headstock and a tailstock. A moving carriage is mounted between the headstock and tailstock to guide the cover wire while it is being fed onto the core wire. To wind the cover wire onto the core wire the winding machine operator places a core wire assembly between a hook on the head stock and the chuck on the tailstock to be stretched in preparation for winding.
Next, and most significantly, the end of the cover wire must be secured to the core wire to begin the winding process. In the prior art it has been common practice to manually insert the end of the cover wire into a tiny open triangle formed by the core wire winding at the terminal end in order to secure the cover wire. Manipulating and inserting the cover wire into the small triangle takes up a large percentage of the time required to wind a string and adds to operator stress as well.
The present invention eliminates entirely the necessity for the operator to insert or connect the cover wire to the core wire before the winding begins. Rather, the present invention automatically engages the cover wire to the core wire prior to winding. With this invention the operator simply hooks the core wire to the headstock, inserts the other end in the tailstock wire chuck and presses a switch to begin the automatic cover wire connection and winding operation.
The improved musical string includes a prior art core wire assembly including a core wire and a terminal end. The cover wire has an end portion that is bent around the terminal end portion of the core wire, and the cover wire is then wound the core wire to form the musical string. The improved cover wire winding machine includes a headstock with a rotatable spindle and a core wire terminal end mounting hook. A cover wire mounting sleeve is slidably and rotatably engaged to the spindle and functions to mechanically engage an end of the cover wire and to bend it into engagement with the core wire terminal end following engagement, the cover wire is wound around the core wire to produce the improved musical string.
It is an advantage of the present invention that an improved musical string is produced.
It is another anther advantage of the present invention that a musical string is produced that is quicker, easier and less expensive to manufacture.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that an improved string cover wire winding machine has been developed that is automated and requires less operator involvement.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention that an improved string cover wire winding machine has been developed that produces strings more rapidly than prior machines.
It is an advantage of the cover wire attachment and winding method of the present invention that it is automated, such that operator involvement and stress is reduced.